


Tangled Hair

by Zetal (Rodinia)



Series: SPN Fluff Bingo [8]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Asexual Sam Winchester, Daily SPN Prompts, Hair messes, M/M, Oblivious Sam Winchester, Pluto Discourse, References to Canon Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2018-07-15 13:47:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7224850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodinia/pseuds/Zetal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam runs into the worst hair day he's had in a very long time.  Castiel offers to help him out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Original Prompt Here: http://dailyspnprompts.tumblr.com/post/143462289527/t-generic-oneshot  
> Blog: http://dailyspnprompts.tumblr.com/
> 
> "Sam’s hair is pretty messed up after a case, all knotted and grimy- even a bit singed at the ends, so he figures he needs some professional help. The hairdresser ends up getting a bit too carried away."
> 
> I went for Sam/Cas bonding instead of a professional.

Rolling down the side of a mountain came with many problems. Sam was bruised, scraped, and cut to hell, and Dean hadn’t stopped laughing at him for six hours. But the worst of it was his hair.

When he was little, John made him keep it short. Too much bother for Dean to be looking after Sam’s hair. As soon as Sam was old enough to comb his own hair, he rebelled against his father, and grew it out long. When he started college and didn’t have to listen to John or Dean anymore, it had gotten down to his shoulders. Jess didn’t like it, so he’d cut it shorter for her. Back on the road with Dean, though, Sam thought maybe he understood his dad’s point about how much bother it could be. But then Jo gave him a spell. Once a month, he had to burn some herbs and recite a bit of Latin, and his hair would never tangle and would stay soft and shiny with only basic care.

So it had literally been years since he’d dealt with this kind of mess. He didn’t know where to even start detangling. It would probably be easier to cut it off and start over. Sam was reaching for the scissors when he heard wings.

“Hello, Sam.” Castiel examined Sam and gave him a puzzled look. “What happened? Dean said you needed a miracle, but you don’t appear to be injured too badly.”

Sam couldn’t help the grin, although he swore that he was going to kill his brother later. “It’s all right, Cas. Dean’s an idiot. He’s making fun of me for my hair.”

Castiel stepped closer, looking intently at Sam’s hair. Just when Sam was about to crack some kind of joke to break the tension, Castiel said, “It will be difficult, but I don’t think a miracle is required. If you’ll allow me, I can try to untangle it for you. I would hate to see you cut it off.”

“You would?” That was a surprise to Sam. “I didn’t think an angel would even notice something like that, let alone care.”

“Most angels wouldn’t. But the time I spent in rebellion, and taking on your memories, I’ve learned to see as humans do.” Castiel frowned. “That’s not quite right. Any angel can see as humans do, within a human vessel, but I’ve learned to interpret what I see in a human fashion instead of translating it to angel vision. It’s usually not worth the bother, but for you, it is.”

“I can imagine.” He wouldn’t want to see his soul every time he looked at himself either. “You wanna try to fix my hair, go ahead. You really can’t make it any worse. Just tell me if you give up so I can cut it.”

“The best is when I can do both. It’s difficult, and I can only maintain it for a few minutes, but often well worth it. Seeing the light of your soul shining through your hair is worth it.” Sam sat on the floor at the foot of his bed. Cas sat behind him, reaching out and running a hand over Sam’s hair.

When Cas found a place to start, it felt surprisingly good. “Where’s an angel learn how to deal with giant messes of hair? I'd have thought you guys just use your grace to keep it under control, like your clothes.”

“We do. I’m working out what I need to do with your hair as I go. The delicacy required, though, I learned during my rebellion. It’s very like managing my wings then.” Castiel tugged gently on a particularly stubborn knot.

“Okay, people have said all kinds of things about my hair in the past, but that’s the first time I’ve ever heard it compared to an angel’s wings,” Sam said, trying to keep the grin in check. He didn’t say it out loud, but he decided that was a pickup line that just might have worked on him.

“It’s a rather odd comparison, I agree, but it works.” Castiel worked quietly for a bit, and the feeling of Cas’s fingers in his hair relaxed Sam a lot. “Are you okay, Sam?”

“Yeah, I’m great. You’re really good at this.” Sam leaned back against the bed, careful to keep his head tilted enough forward that Cas could keep working.

“What about the other injuries? I didn’t notice anything serious, but they do seem rather extensive.”

“Oh.” Sam stretched his limbs, making sure to keep his head as steady as possible. “Well, sleeping tonight’s not gonna be fun, but I’m okay. For falling down a mountain, this isn’t bad at all.”

Cas’s fingers stilled in Sam’s hair. “How did you come to fall down a mountain?”

“Well, I didn’t fall, exactly,” Sam admitted with a chuckle. “More like got thrown down by a pissed-off skinchanger and rolled for a few hundred yards. It was really steep and it had rained recently, so I couldn’t get hold of anything to stop myself until I went off the cliff.”

“Fell off…” Castiel’s fingers tightened in Sam’s hair. He released them right away. “I apologize. I assume the cliff wasn’t very high?”

“Nah, barely taller than me, maybe seven feet or so. And I landed in a juniper bush, so that kept me from breaking anything aside from branches.” Sam scratched at a scrape on his arm. “Didn’t help with the hair at all, though.”

“That explains this.” Castiel held out a twig for Sam’s inspection. “I don’t know whether to check you for curses or declare you the luckiest human alive.”

“I wonder that myself sometimes. I mean, I know I’m cursed, Azazel and all. But to be alive, after everything I’ve been through…” Sam shook his head. “Well, I know I’ve got a literal angel looking out for me, but even that had some huge luck involved.”

Castiel put a hand on top of Sam’s head to hold it still. Somehow, that made whatever he was doing to Sam’s hair feel even better. “How so?”

“You rescued Dean. How many other angels would have decided to tolerate me, let alone look out for me like you have? Can you honestly tell me that I’m not lucky that my brother’s guardian angel would care enough about me to storm Lucifer’s Cage?”

“If you were truly lucky, he’d have gotten an angel who could do it right. Or one who wouldn’t have gotten so far off the reservation that he thought it acceptable to risk your life to take you and Dean out of the fight.”

Sam laughed. “Maybe. But just the fact that you tried… and then you came back to the reservation and fixed my head. Can’t ask for too much.”

“Sam, you deserve it,” Castiel said, smoothing some hair forward.

Sam reached up to touch the hair, and was pleased to find that Cas was, in fact, making progress. “You’ll never get me to agree, you know. Tell me about angel wings instead. Or something amazing you’ve seen or done.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know! You’ve been around a while, you have to have seem something amazing. What did angels do before there were humans? Did you get to watch the Earth and sun and moon form? Were dinosaurs as cool as they look in the movies?” Sam cut himself off there, because he knew he’d start babbling some really stupid questions if he kept going.

Castiel chuckled softly. “The first time I took a host on Earth, it was a triceratops. We were sent to investigate the state of the planet, see how God’s plans were coming along, and Balthazar convinced a few of us to sneak away and create some mischief.”

“Mischief. Why doesn’t it surprise me that Balthazar was involved?”

“Because you met him after he chose to abandon his responsibilities. Before then, he was one of the most loyal and honorable of angels. I still can’t believe he blamed me for his choices.” Castiel handed Sam another twig. “I never ran away from Heaven, from my duty. I rebelled, yes, but that was because I believed Heaven had lost its way. Once humans arrived, Balthazar left off his mischief and served with distinction.”

“Oh. So you ran around as a dinosaur? How do you get permission from a dinosaur to use it as a vessel? Were they actually intelligent?”

“No more than any other animals.” Sam could definitely feel the difference now as Castiel ran his fingers through Sam’s hair. “Once humans came along, we were no longer permitted to take animals as hosts, but until then since there was no other choice we could. We were only supposed to if it were necessary, but… mischief.”

“Heh.” Sam closed his eyes, imagining a bunch of angels tromping around in dinosaur bodies. “Wait a minute. What about when you were avoiding Heaven after you got back from Purgatory?”

“For one thing, that was guilt and shame over the crimes I had committed, not running away to indulge whatever whims struck me. For another, I would have gone back much sooner, except that Naomi wouldn’t allow it.”

“Oh, wow, yeah. I keep forgetting just how long Naomi had you under her control. I’m so sorry we didn’t help you sooner.”

“You didn’t know.”

“We knew something was wrong.” Sam reached up and felt his hair. “Wow, you’re doing a really good job with this. Thanks.”

“Sometimes I miss taking care of my wings this way. I always found it relaxing. I’ve tried not letting my grace do it, but it’s not the same.” Castiel went to work on another section of Sam’s hair. “Watching the sun and planets form isn’t as exciting as it sounds. You have to remember, the videos are sped up immensely. The process takes hundreds of millions of years. It was exciting the day Theia crashed into the Earth as it was coming together.”

“Theia?”

“A planet-sized object that struck the forming Earth to create the moon. There was panic in Heaven – we knew that God had designated the Earth as the eventual home of his creations, so to see it nearly destroyed was terrifying. God sent reassurances through the archangels, but it wasn’t until the moon started to come together that we understood.” Castiel paused while he worked out a particularly stubborn knot. “For millennia, I looked to the moon for reassurance that God’s plans always resulted in something beautiful. Then the Apocalypse happened, and I can’t find the moon in the results of that. The intended results of the fight occurring or the actual results.”

“Well, it’s not the moon, but if it weren’t for the Apocalypse, Dean and I wouldn’t have met you. Dean would still be dead, I probably would be too. That’s worth, like, Tycho crater or something.”

“Having you and Dean is a good result. I hadn’t thought to look at it that way.” Castiel continued working through the tangles in Sam’s hair. “Later on, when life came along, it got a bit more interesting. I’ll never forget the day we all descended on the Earth to watch as the first animals began to leave the water. Even then, I was a troublemaker… I nearly stepped on a fish. Lucifer caught me just in time and told me there were big plans for that fish.”

Sam snorted. “And now he probably wishes he’d been just a couple seconds slower.”

“Probably. Although God could probably have found another fish. I’m grateful for it; I like life as it came to be.”

“Me too.”

“Even juniper bushes?” Castiel handed Sam yet another twig.

Sam chuckled. “Hey, that juniper bush may have saved my life! If I’d landed just wrong, I could’ve broken my neck. And I’m sure not minding you taking care of my hair for me.”

“That’s good to know. Tangled hair is much easier to fix than a broken neck. Skinchangers, on the other hand, I could do without.”

“Yeah, I know. But that’s the job, you know? We deal with the crap out there so that others don’t have to.” Sam shifted his weight a little. “How’s it coming?”

“Nearly done.” Castiel ran his hands through Sam’s hair, and Sam could feel the difference. “What happened to the spell you normally use to prevent this?”

“Forgot it was time,” Sam said, trying not to laugh. “I’ll do it tonight, can’t call you after every hunt. But thank you. I’m glad I didn’t have to cut it off.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam is an oblivious goober sometimes. Thankfully, Castiel has a bit of perception.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "On a higher note, this reads like it should be the prequel to a fic where Sam returns the favor and grooms Castiel's wings after he twigs that Cas comparing his hair to angel wings was supposed to be a subtle flirtation~" - your wish is my command, O Wonderful and Most Helpful Mutual Enabler [LadyShadowphyre](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyShadowphyre/pseuds/LadyShadowphyre)!
> 
> Chapter written for SPN Fluff Bingo  
> Square: Sung to sleep

It had become something of a tradition for Sam to “forget” to do the spell for his hair unless they were in the middle of a hunt and he might get it messed up too seriously. It was an excuse, although he tried to pretend it wasn’t. If he forgot to do the spell, well, he didn’t own a comb or fancy shampoos or conditioners or any of the stuff he’d need to keep his hair perfect without magic. He’d have to call Castiel to help him fix it up. No, doing the spell while his hair was a mess wouldn’t help, he was sure. He’d never tried, but he could swear he remembered Jo saying something about that.

Castiel never minded. He was always very grateful to get his hands in Sam’s hair. He’d said he missed caring for his wings like this, that it wasn’t the same if he just didn’t let his grace do all the work. Sam had accepted that easily enough.

Until tonight. Sam’s hair had barely been tangled, but Castiel spent twenty minutes running his hands through Sam’s hair anyway. Now he was curious. “Cas?”

“Yes, Sam?”

“Do you want some help with your wings?”

Castiel’s fingers went still in Sam’s hair. “My grace takes care of them for me.”

“I know, but you said you missed taking care of them this way, like my hair.”

“It’s not the same if I shut off my grace and try to do it. It’s missing something. I don’t know what it is.”

“So I’m thinking, maybe if someone else took care of them for you, that could help. I know that it feels way different having you work on my hair than trying to do it myself.”

Castiel tilted his head, considering. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to try. I’ll pull my grace back and come see you in a day or two so you can preen me.”

 

Two days later, Castiel came back. “Don’t worry about hurting me or making a mistake. I can fix it with my grace. Just figure it out as you go.” He sat on the edge of the bed.

Sam waited. And kept waiting. “Um, Cas? Aren’t you forgetting something?” he eventually said.

Castiel blinked and looked behind him. “Right. If I want you to care for my wings, you kind of need to be able to see them.” He closed his eyes, and a pair of beautiful wings shimmered into sight. The base color was black, but the edges of the feathers were gold, and there were iridescent feathers of purple and green and blue scattered throughout the wings. Sam couldn’t stop staring. Castiel looked over his shoulder again. “Sam?”

“I’m… wow. Your wings are so beautiful.” Sam shook his head to clear it and knelt behind Castiel on the bed. “I can’t believe you compared my hair to these.”

“Why not? Gabriel’s, Lucifer’s before he fell, no, but your hair is at least as beautiful as my wings. My wings are rather… dark.”

Sam scoffed, but he got to work, straightening feathers. Castiel held as still as he could, but the wings pushed back into Sam’s hands as he worked. As he worked, he could see why Castiel would make the association as far as the delicacy required. “Hey, Castiel?”

“Yes?”

“Is Pluto a planet?”

He could feel Castiel rolling his eyes. “The distinction between what is a planet and what isn’t is a human concern. Based on the history of the word and other objects like it, I would think it shouldn’t be considered a planet. Why do you ask?”

“I was reading something earlier today about scientists thinking a ninth planet formed out in the edges of the solar system and got kicked out when Jupiter and Saturn got into an orbital resonance, and I kind of got lost down the rabbit hole. You were there, you watched the solar system coming together, so I thought you might have a definitive answer.”

“I do not. Much like Ceres, it was discovered earlier than other objects in its region of space, but it is only one of many objects there.”

“What about that ninth planet that was kicked out?”

“There were several objects ejected from the solar system during planetary formation. There was also a planet-sized object that was captured as it passed by. It’s very far out, so your scientists haven’t discovered it yet, but it’s out there.”

“Wow. That’s awesome. I wonder how much longer it’ll take us to find it?”

“The observations of its effects are likely being studied already. Actually seeing it through a telescope will probably take some time, as it’s currently lost against the Milky Way.”

“Awesome.” Sam looked over the wing he was working on. He could definitely tell the difference between where he’d worked and where he hadn’t. “So is this working? Does it feel like it did when you were falling?”

“Yes and no. It doesn’t feel like it did then, but I am very glad you suggested this, because it’s a very pleasant sensation. If you would be willing, I’d like to do this again.”

“Any time you want me to. I’ve really come to look forward to you coming to work on my hair. I like having the chance to hang out with you and talk about ridiculous stuff. So worth Dean teasing me.”

“What’s Dean teasing you about?”

Sam ducked his head, mentally kicking himself for bringing it up. “He’s, uh, he’s been telling me that if I want your hands in my hair, I should just tell you that instead of making up excuses. Forgetting the spell once he could believe, but how often I’ve been forgetting it since…”

“Your memory is better than that, Sam. Once, in the middle of a hunt, is believable." Castiel turned to look at Sam, his blue eyes troubled. "Have you really been forgetting since? I just assumed it was an excuse and that you were flirting with me.”

“Wha…”

“Making an excuse to spend time together, allowing me to touch you in such an intimate way? You know perfectly well that except for that first time, it would not have taken thirty minutes to fix your hair for you. And then when you asked if I would like you to care for my wings for me… have I been misunderstanding? Was that not intended as a deepening of our relationship? I talked to Dean after the first couple times, and he agreed that this was likely you attempting to become closer to me, in a way that was safe for you.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that after centuries with my older brothers, even after I took on the pain of those memories, I can’t imagine you’re all that comfortable with more traditional forms of intimacy, so you were finding a way to have that without triggering yourself.”

“Dean said that.” It did not sound like his brother at all.

“Well, no. Dean said that ‘After however long he was Lucifer and Michael’s bitch in the cage, he’s even less interested in sex than he was before he went in, so this sounds like he’s trying to work around it.’ I thought rephrasing might be a good idea.”

Sam broke down in laughter. Couldn’t help it. This was all too ridiculous. “Okay. Um. This is gonna sound really stupid…”

“You’re not stupid, Sam.”

“No, but I can act like it sometimes. It’s all been an excuse to have you come over and take care of my hair and spend time with you, but I was hoping you wouldn’t catch on. Because either you wouldn’t be interested, in which case it would end when you realized what I was doing, or you would be interested, but you’d expect progression I’m not sure I’m comfortable with. It honestly never occurred to me that you of all people would understand why I might have a problem with the normal progression…”

“Normal is such a loaded word, Sam. The most common, yes, but there’s nothing abnormal about choosing a different path in your relationship.”

“So yeah. The only thing you got wrong was that I didn’t realize you’d caught on and accepted things as they are.”

“Now that you know, is there anything you’d like to do differently?”

“I’m gonna stop even pretending I’m forgetting the spell when I put it off a couple days, and…” Sam thought for a minute. “Would you mind staying with me tonight until I fall asleep?”

“Not at all.”

 

When Sam finished Castiel’s wings and Castiel had approved of the job he’d done, he got ready for bed. When he came back, Castiel was still sitting on the end of the bed. “Come up here, Cas. Where you can play with my hair.”

“Okay.” Castiel waited until Sam had settled in, and then moved to where he could reach Sam’s hair. “I believe there’s a human tradition of a lullaby. Would you like one?”

“Sure, why not?” Sam closed his eyes and waited. He nearly burst into laughter when he recognized Castiel’s idea of a lullaby as being “Hey, Jude”.

**Author's Note:**

> Holy crap, 50 works. Go me.
> 
> Comments are always welcome!


End file.
